Ben Affleck Was Initially Offered The Chance To Direct Flashpoint

It’s official: Flashpoint is no longer a rudderless ship.

More than a year has passed since Rick Famuyiwa parted ways with Warner Bros. – the Dope filmmaker dropped out due to creative differences all the way back in 2016 – and now, the studio has tapped Spider-Man: Homecoming scribes John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein to helm Barry Allen’s long-anticipated solo movie.

Had things panned out differently, though, Variety’s scoop would have signaled the announcement of Ben Affleck as director, not Daley and Goldstein. According to today’s findings, The Batman (?) and Justice League actor was initially courted for Flashpoint, but ultimately refused. Whether that’s further proof that Affleck is beginning to distance himself from the DC Extended Universe is something we’ll leave to you, but it does present some food for thought.

Because let’s face it, the writer-director has been casting doubt over his DCEU future ever since Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, so we wouldn’t be too surprised if and when Matt Reeves decides to cast Jake Gyllenhaal (or Jon Hamm!) as the new Caped Crusader. There’s also the small matter of Flashpoint‘s fluid, time-hopping story, which may well signal the return of Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead) into Warner’s superhero franchise.

What we do know, however, is that Flashpoint has ostensibly been on ice ever since the abrupt departure of Rick Famuyiwa, leading Warner Bros. to order a page-one rewrite from Joby Harold. Word is the Scarlett Speedster’s solo movie will take a whole new direction, which goes some ways to explaining the appointment of two writer-directors who have cut their teeth in the comedy genre.

With John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein locked in – pending final negotiations, of course – Flashpoint can finally begin to move forward at Warner Bros., where it joins the likes of Shazam!, Suicide Squad 2, Wonder Woman 2, Gotham City Sirens and, presumably, Green Lantern Corps.